Page 62: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Oct/Nov 2014)

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GE launched its new

Subsea technology center and a new

Meeting deepwater vertical Xmas tree at this year’s ONS. Meg Chesshyre learned more.

demand

GE Oil & Gas launched its deepwater,

The inauguration of GE’s new tech- high-pressure and high-temperature verti- nology solutions cal Xmas tree (DVXT), at the ONS confer- center, including ence in Stavanger in August. The DVXT a half-size model subsea vertical tree is an adaptable system of its new deep- for installation by a simple support vessel, water Xmas tree.

with a tree mandrel that can accommodate technology into drilling BOP or completion riser. the tree as it

Mike Wenham, subsea trees senior comes along, application engineer, says that the DVXT

Wenham says, is a new con? guration of tree, providing “whether that be ? exibility and customization, relying heav- ? owmeters, intel- ily on proven technology, using core estab- lished products. It targets the North Sea, lished products. It targets the North Sea, company’s next-generation remote electron- ligent trees with strain gauges, or virtual ics canister—the SemStar5-R—the DVXT ? ow metering.” west of Shetland, East and West Africa, west of Shetland, East and West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico, and Asia Paci? c. the Gulf of Mexico, and Asia Paci? c. To meet future manufacturing require- incorporates the latest in communication ments, GE invested US$20 million in its technology and is designed to achieve

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facilities in Montrose, Scotland, with two higher subsea reliability, extended service

Scan this page with your smartphone or new horizontal borers and associated clad- life and improved environmental monitor- tablet and the Actable app to learn more ding and inspection rigs. The upgrade was ing. Already a market leader with commu- about GE’s new DVXT xmas tree, geared to completed in July 2013. GE also has exist- nications out to 220km, at depths of up to meet the challenges of deepwater projects.

ing capability in Singapore and is building 3000m, the ModPod subsea control module

GE is hoping to meet an anticipated a new facility in Batam, Indonesia, which is designed to complement the DVXT’s growing demand for subsea Xmas trees. already has orders for the new DVXT trees. modular layout and enables an even more

Subsea production offers a signi? cant ? exible communications network.

Technology Solutions Center launch growth opportunity and technical chal- “We’ve focused on maximum re-use of lenge, says Christopher Phebus, engineer- existing design,” Wenham says. “It is pre- GE Oil & Gas also inaugurated its new ing director, Subsea Products & Projects, dominantly packaging. These trees have $5 million Technology Solutions Center

GE. He says that subsea production in 2012 to go into Africa. We ? at pack them and (TSC) in Stavanger, Norway, during ONS. was 9% of the total hydrocarbon produc- build them locally.” Sitting opposite GE’s existing Subsea

Systems facility in the port of Dusavik, it tion, but this is anticipated to be at least The DVXT’s frame has been designed to features a combination of interactive digi- 15% by 2020, and that some industry be modular, which means it can be easily tal displays, live demonstrations and scale experts are pegging that at around 50% by built in developing countries, where there models, including GE PII’s intelligent pigs, 2035. might not be quite the same manufacturing

The DVXT is a 5in. x 2in. tree designed the Sa? re 2.0 multiphase ? owmeter and capability, but local content requirements.

for up to 3000m water depths, 10,000- the newly launched DVXT. State-of-the-art

The tree incorporates requirements 15,000psi pressure, and a tempera- training facilities and meeting rooms are from major deepwater operators, ture range of -18°C also located on-site.

through early engagement. to +151°C. It has an The center brings together the numer-

GE has focused on estimated 53-tonne ous GE Oil & Gas business units includ- lowest installed cost weight (dependent ing Subsea Systems, Drilling & Surface, with ? exible installa- on the specifica- Turbomachinery Solutions, Downhole tion techniques and tion), and is opti- Technology Solutions, Measurement & delivery times, for a mized to fit a 16ft Control (including PII Pipeline Solutions), core tree with mini- x 16ft moonpool and Lufkin. The center also draws on the mal customization, of to accommodate expertise of other GE businesses operating within 18 months. The older rig speci? cations. in the oil and gas space, including Power unit’s design life is 30

The tubing head spool has Conversion, Intelligent Platforms, Digital years. an estimated weight of about Looking ahead, it will be Energy (Energy Management), Distributed 32-tonne, again dependent possible to incorporate new Power and Water & Process Technologies on speci? cation. (GE Power & Water), Transportation and

GE Oil & Gas’s new deepwater

Deployed with the Lighting.